Germicidal soap



Patented "1 2,- j t g GER'MwmAL soar Walter H. Hartnng, Lansdowne, Pa.,assignor to Sharp J; Dohme, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Maryland No Drawing.

Application September 21, 1936,

Serial No. 101,788

12 Claims. (01. 252-101) This invention relates to germicidal soap; andmore particularly to such soaps, either solid or liquid, which contain aphenol and which retain the detergent properties of the soap and thegermicidal or antiseptic properties of the phenol. The amount of phenolused in the new soaps of I the present invention is relatively small, sothat the soaps retain their detergent properties and when used in aconcentration such that the concentration of phenol is such as to giveeffective germicidal action are effective detergents or washing agents.

A great number of compositions containing soap and phenols of one typeor another have previously been suggested and used as antisepticcompositions; the soap having frequently been used or proposed for useas a solubilizing agent for the phenols, many of which are notsufficiently soluble in water to produce an antiseptic solution unlesssome other agent is included in the solution to increase theirsolubility or dispersion.

Such compositions in general have used the soap in about equalproportions with the phenol, or have used the phenol in greater amountsthan the soap, so that in any concentration of the mixture in waterwhich is efiective and usable as an antiseptic or germicide, the amountof soap present is too small to have any effective detergent or washingaction and the solutions are disinfecting or germicidal solutions ratherthan detergent solutions. Such compositions, whether solid or liquid,have not been available for use as germicidal soaps, because theproportion of phenol which they contain is so great that their detergentaction is not comparable to the detergent action of ordinary soap.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide a soapwhich is germicidal or antiseptic, and which may be used as an ordinarysoap, that is, as a detergent or washing agent, and which combines withits detergent or washing properties the property of serving as agermicide or antiseptic.

In accordance with the present invention, soaps are produced fromcommercially available fats or oils, such as cocoanut oil and palm oil,and the soaps produced are comparable with ordinary commercial soaps.The fat or oil which is selected as the base for the soap ishydrogenated to substantially complete saturation so that the resultingsoap is substantially free from unsaturated fatty acids. After the fator oil is thus hydrogenated to substantially complete saturation, it issaponified in one of the usual ways with either a sodium or a potassiumbase, and is converted into soap. The resulting soap, which isasoap ofsaturated fatty acids, and substantially free from soap of unsaturatedfatty acids, is then filtered in a suitable manner, or it may beextracted with ether, to remove all of the unsaponifiable matter. Careshould be taken that in the final soap which is produced no substantialamount of unsaponified fat or oil or excess free fatty acid is present.The amount of caustic used in producing the soap should be thestoichiometric quantity required to neutralize all of the fatty acidpresent, or may be somewhat in excess of this, so that no free fattyacid remains in the final soap.

The soaps may be produced from a single commercial oil or fat, such ascocoanut oil or palm oil, or may be produced from mixed oils or fats,such as mixtures of palm oil and cocoanut oil, or mixtures of tallow andpalm oil, etc.

A relatively small amount of a phenol is com bined with the soap soproduced. The phenols which are advantageously used are the higher ormore active phenols such as the alkyl phenols, the alkyl cresols, thealkyl resorcinols, etc., such h ghly active phenols as secondary andtertiary butyl, amyl and hexyl cresols being particularly advantageousboth from the point of view of germicidal activity and stability. Thesephenols are incorporated in the composition in proportions ranging fromabout 1% to about 10% by weight, based on the soap; a somewhat higherproportion of the phenol being used in the produ: "-ion of liquid soapcompositions than is used in me production of solid soap compositions orbar soaps, and the more active phenols being used in smallerproportions, than the less active phenols. For example, a phenol such assec ondary or tertiary hexyl cresol may be used in proportions rangingfrom about 1% to about 10% based upon the weight of the soap used.

The presence of soapfrom unsaturated fatty activity of the compositionby as much as 75%. The soap compositions may also contain a small amountof a suitable material to mask the odor of the composition, or .toimpart a desirable odor to the composition. Any perfuming ingredientsused should in general be of a more or less phenolic character. Sucharoma-tic compositionsas oil of cloves or creosote may be used withadvantage. Oil of cloves contains eugenol, which is a propenyl guaiacol,and creosote contains cresol and guaiacol. Other perfuming agents, suchas lemon grass oil, bergamot oil, camphor oil, thyme oil, and tar oil,which are non-phenolic in character, exhibit a marked inhibiting actionupon the germicidal or antiseptic properties of the composition, andeven when used in small amounts may reduce the activity by abouttwothirds, more or less. It is my theory that such unsaponified orunsaponifiable material as free fatty acids, fat or oil, non-phenolicperfuming ingredients, etc., oifer, when the compositions are dissolvedin water, discrete surfaces uponwhich the phenolic germicides tend to beadsorbed, with a marked reduction in the amount of the phenol which isavailable for germicidal or antiseptic purposes. By the elimination ofsubstantially all such materials, and the elimination of substantiallyall unsaturated fatty acid soaps, which also have a marked inhibitingaction upon the germicidal or antiseptic activity of the composition, Ifind that it is possible to produce soap compositions containing agreatly preponderating amount of 'soap and a smaller amount of phenol,such that the compositions when dissolved in water are effectivegermicides and also effective detergent or washing agents.

' The invention will beillustrated by the following speciflc examples,although it is not limited thereto.

Example I.-Cocoanut oil is hydrogenated to substantially completesaturation, saponified, and the resulting soap extracted with ether toremove unsaponifled and unsaponifiable material. An aqueous liquid soapwhich contains about of the resulting saturated soap and 1% of secondaryor tertiary hexyl cresol is then made. This liquid soap is effectivelygermicidal or antiseptic, and is an efiective detergent or washingagent, when used as such liquid soaps are normally used.

Example 'II.-Cocoanut oil is hydrogenated to substantially completesaturation, and the resulting soap is filtered to remove unsaponifiedand unsaponifiable material. A solid soap, containing about 85% soap andwater is produced therefrom, and from about 1% to about 10% of secondaryor tertiary hexyl cresol soaps are produced from commercially availablefats and oils, by hydrogenating thefats or oils to substantiallycomplete saturation, so that the resulting soaps are substantially freefrom un-' saturated fatty acid soaps, and the soaps are treated so thatthey are substantially free from unsaponified and unsaponifiablematerial.

saponified,

I claim:

1. A germicidal and detergent soap composition exhibiting effectivegermicidal activity and possessing effective detergent and washingproperties, which composition comprises a watersoluble soap obtainedfrom a soap-base selected from the group consisting of commercial fattyoils and fats, said soap being substantially free from unsaturated fattyacid soaps and from unsaponified and unsaponifiable material exceptphenols, said composition also containing from about 1% to about 10% ofan alkyl phenol capable of acting as a germicide, based upon the weightof the soap.

2. A germicidal and detergent soap composition as in claim 1, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol.

3. A germicidal and detergent soap composition as in claim 1, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol, in which the alkyl group has atleast four but not more than six carbon atoms.

4. A- germicidal and detergent soap as in claim 1, in which the alkylphenol is an alkyl di-hydroxy phenol.

5. A liquid aqueous soap composition posessing efiective detergent andwashing properties and exhibiting eflective germicidal activity,

which composition comprises from about 0.1%

to about 1% of an alkyl phenol capable of acting as a germicide, andabout 10% of a watersoluble soap substantially free from unsaponifiedand unsaponifiable fatty material and obtained from a substantiallycompletely hydrogenated soap-base selected from the group consisting ofcommercial fatty oils and fats.

6. A germicidal and detergent soap composition as in claim 5, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol.

'7. A germicidal and detergent-soap composition as in claim 5, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol, in which the alkyl group has atleast fourvbut not more than six carbon atoms.

8. A solid germicidal and detergent soap exhibiting efiective germicidalactivity and possessing efiective detergent and washing properties,which soap contains about 15% water and from about 1% to about 10%,based upon the weight of the soap, of an alkyl phenol capable of actingas a germicide, the soap being water-soluble and obtained from asubstantially completely hydrogenated soap-base selected from the basedon the soap incorporated in it. The resulting solid soap isefl'ectively, germicidal or antiseptic when used as such soaps areordinarily used, and is also an effective detergent or washing agent,not diflereing substantially from solid soaps of similar constitution asordinarily made.

Alkyl di-hydroxy phenols, such as alkyl resorcinols, catechols, etc.,may also be used advantageously. I

Thus by the present invention, I provide a process by which new andimproved germicidal or antiseptic soaps may be produced, the soaps beingin either liquid or solid form, and having substantially the samedetergent or washing properties as ordinary soaps, and also having anefiective germicidal or antiseptic action when group consisting ofcommercial fatty oils and fats, said soap being substantially free fromunsaponified and unsaponifiable fatty material.

9. A germicidal and detergent soap composition as in claim 8, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol.

10. A germicidal and detergent soap composition as in claim 8, in whichthe alkyl phenol is an alkyl cresol, in which the alkyl group has atleast four but not more than six carbon atoms.

11. The process of producing a germicidal and detergent soap exhibitingeflective germicidal activity and possessing effective detergent andwashing properties, from a soap-base selected from the group consistingof commercial fatty oils and fats, which comprises saponifying thesoap-base, previously hydrogenated .to substanmercial fatty oils andfats, which comprises saponifying the soap-base previously hydrogen,-

ated to substantially complete saturation, re-

moving unsaponified and unsaponifiable material therefrom leaving awater-soluble soap, and incorporating in the soap from about 1% to about10% by weight, based on the weight of the soap, of an alkyl phenolcapable of acting as a germicide.

I WALTER H. HARTUNG.

